Thanks for posting a pic Baci. Yeah, we definitely have different varieties. Thank you for all your research. I am happy that I at least know it is a Cotyledon Orbiculata. Of course, I would love to know what variety it is. Here are some updated pics if that would help. Anyone's opinion would be greatly appreciated...I'll be sure to post pics when/if it flowers. If you look at the original pics in the other thread, the 2 tiny leaves that were on top are now full grown in these new pics, and there are new leaves emerging again! What a fast grower! Maybe that means I'll get flowers soon :)

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Good morning, and many more varieties and forms, and enough hybrids to make you crazy. Grow it in lots of sun, and fast draining soil, and you will see the real beauty of the plant, the flowers will be spectaculiar. I could list them all and you can take your pick. In the variety oblonga there are 20 varieties. I sure would like to be of help, Norma

Gabro, I'm pretty certain that you have a Crassula Aborescens (Silver Dollar Jade). I have two of them. Mine have also been growing like gangbusters. They both have really taken off since October, I think. I've had one of them since early summer. All summer long it seemed to be dormant. Growing like crazy now.

The first one I had wasn't getting enough light at first. It's growth wasn't very compact. I live in Southeastern Michigan and had it about a foot away from an east facing window. About a month ago, I got a few lamps that I'm keeping compact fluorescent bulbs in. The growth is looking a lot better now. The lights are on one side of my succulent table and the window is on the other side.

Both mine plants are small like yours. I look forward to the day when they'll be big plants. Good luck with yours.

Amanda

Then again...

Did I read in your other post that you bought your plant online? If so was it from M----c-W----d on Ebay? The reason I put the dashes is because I don't want to discourage anyone from buying from that seller. He's wonderful and his plants are gorgeous and healthy.

Anyway, if you bought from that seller, it's possible that we were both misinformed about the name when buying. My plants look just like yours though. The new growth I have on my plants looks just like the new growth on yours.

Yes Amanda, I did buy from him! I also wrote him to inform him that he named the plant incorrectly. I definitely don't think it's a Crassula Arborescens. But I guess you and I have the same plant if you bought a "silver dollar jade" from Mr. M.W.! He has great plants, but he does give the wrong names. I really do think it is a Cotyledon Orbiculata...do a google image search and you'll find some pics that look like it (but most don't). Also read some info on it and you'll see that our plant fits the description. By the way, my biggest leaf is HUGE! It's seriously almost the size of my hand! I'd love to see a pic if you have one.
Gabi

Oh Gabi...

I was afraid you'd ask me to post pictures. I take the most gosh-awful pictures imaginable. But ok...

This is the one I cut back because it's growth was spindley. The lighting wasn't good enough for it at first. It started sprouting new growth immediately:
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Here's the other one. I have it potted with an ovata jade and a gollum jade:
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If you look to the left and down, there's another little plant emerging:
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Sorry about the poor quality of my pictures. I'll look up information about the Cotyledons. Aren't you glad to have happened upon this forum? Otherwise we'd have no idea what we're growing! ;-)

Well thanks for posting pics. I appreciate the effort :) And they didn't come out too bad.
In the first pic, the plant actually looks "jade" like. But I can see the similarities between our plants in the other 2. The curvy leaves are the most obvious feature. I like that you cut the 'spindly' one back, because now you'll have more branches.
So I guess you bought more that one from this guy! I bought other plants from him and they were very nice, but they were either named wrong or the name was not specific (e.g., "hens and chicks", "echeveria"). But I wouldn't hesitate to buy from him again...I just love this plant we have, whatever the heck it's called!
I hope mine sprouts a baby like yours did :)

Good gracious, I've ordered tons of MW's plants. Now I'll have to look them all up again to find out what I've been growing! LOL

I guess the solution is to keep buying plants from MW and then come to Norma and Baci for IDs. Win-win, if you ask me. :-)

Thanks Gabi
Thanks Norma
Thanks Baci

Amanda

How about C. orbiculata var. orbiculata 'Mucronata'? It has glaucous leaves, broad and flattened, and wavy margins. My source suggests it can be confused with C. undulata.

Thanks Randi...I'll look that one up.
By the way, I left you a message on my post in the bonsai forum, about ponytail palm.

Amanda, I found another one of these for sale on ebay..listed as the RIGHT name! But not by MW. I just wanted to post the link because the pic is exactly what mine looked like when I first got it. And the tiny leaf growth is the same too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220066672455

Gabi, that's definitely our little guy. Thanks for posting that link.

I may be getting my hot little hands on some actual crassula arborescens cuttings though. I'll post a (really bad) picture once I get them potted.

Gabi, these are the Silver Dollar Jade cuttings! I've had them for about 4 days. These are the pots I'm going to plant them in within the next week.

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I think your photography skills are improving slightly Amanda :)
Nah, I'm just teasing...It's probably just the camera, or maybe the flash should be messed with (try it on, then off).
Those are some nice C. Arborescens cuttings. I hope they root nicely for you. I personally like our little (or shall I say BIG) guys better. Aren't the wavy margins so 'different'? The only problem I have, is that it is growing so fast I wonder how the bottom leaves are going to stay on. If you look at the pic I posted above, the "baby leaves" that were starting to grow in are almost full size, and all this new growth is pushing the bottom leaves down, and they are actually starting to curve over the pot edges. If this doesn make sense, let me know and I'll post a pic. Anyone know if I'll have to take these bottom leaves off eventually? Not sure what to do with this growth pattern!
Thanks,
Gabi

Hi again. So my C. Orbiculata is growing so fast and like I said in my last post, the big bottom leaves are getting pushed down. Not only are they starting to hang over the pot, but I just noticed that one of the big bottom leaves is getting yellow on the tip and shriveling up. I don't really think it's a water issue. I've been using a water meter and water it when it's dry. Do you think I should remove the leaf or should I start watering more to try and save it? I don't want to leave it on if it's going to affect the rest of the plant, but it's so huge that I wouldn't even know how to remove it! PLEASE HELP! I love this plant! Also, if I remove the one big one, should I remove the other, since it probably will face the same demise?

I've posted some pics. If you scroll up you can compare and see how much new growth there has been since my last set of pics (the tiny leaves on the plant from my Dec. 29th post are now the almost full grown ones at the top, and there are new tiny leaves growing in! All in less than a month!). I guess this is a winter grower. Sorry about the massive size pics and the amount of them..but I wanted to give a good idea of what's going on. Thanks in advance for ANY advice. Oh, just in case this helps, the width of the big leaves are about 3" at their widest, and the width of where the leaf meets the steam is 1".

Whole plant with leaf hanging over (bottom right):
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Whole plant with even MORE growth:
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Tip of "Bad" leaf:
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Another image of "Bad" leaf:
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Close-up of where leaf meets stem (seems difficult to cut off without damaging plant):
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The oldest leaf is drying out, presumably as its nutrients are reabsorbed by the plant. It is natural for the oldest leaves to dry up and drop off. The major problem with your plant is that it is starting to etiolate markedly. It needs much more light to prevent undue elongation of the stem and leaves.

Thanks Cochemiea. That makes a lot of sense, especially about the old leaves dropping off. So should I just wait for it to drop off? Will keeping that leaf be a danger to the plant or should I just allow nature to take its course?

I was thinking the stem growth was occuring in sync with the leaf growth. I've had succulents etioliate, but I've only seen that happen in the absence of leaf growth. Wouldn't it make sense that the stem would grow when the leaves grow?

Either way, I don't have much of a choice in terms of adding more light. I only have east facing windows, as my apt. is wall to wall windows on only one side. However, I do have an area where the terrace window is facing north, so if I put it in that area it will be by both east and north facing windows. That would be best whether the plant is beginning to etoliate or not. I can't add artificial lights because of the cost and the lack of space. Also, my SO is putting up with my plants...I can't imagine how it would go if I added a bunch of grow lights!

Thanks for your opinion. I look forward to hearing what others have to say.
Gabi

Leave the older leaf to dry out while attached. Stop watering for now, and put your plant in the brightest spot possible (which sounds like the east window, where it will probably be a bit cooler, and that's good, too). The stem is streching looking for more light, and will be weaker because of it.

Hi Gabi.

My lowest leaf yellowed, shriveled and fell off. I put it aside. When I pick up batteries for my camera this weekend, I'll take a picture of it. I'm hoping that while I'm at work my husband hasn't thrown the leaf away.

Also, one of my cotyledon's (I call them my "piglets" because I've read that they're also called pig's ear), had a lot of elongated growth. That's the one I cut back. I then went to Target and bought a small desk lamp for about 6 dollars and a compact fluorescent bulb for about 4 dollars. It burns 27 watts, but puts out 100 watts. The light is bright, but cool. Since then I have purchased three other small lamps for my other succulents, and found some compact fluorescent bulbs on Ebay. I don't remember the exact cost, but it ended up averaging out to like a dollar per bulb when the cost of shipping was added. So fear not! Artificial lighting doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. :-)

BTW, it's important that I add that I'm using the artificial light in addition to having my plants within a foot of an east window. I'm not using the bulbs in place of natural light. Just to supplement.

Thanks Amanda. The problem is more the space issue than the cost. I just can't see myself having lamps and lights all over. Even in one spot...I'd feel like my house was a greenhouse. I want my plants to be healthy, but I don't want to sacrifice the look of my home for that. I try my best to do what's right for my plants, but I like a "clutter-free" home. I'm kind of OCD about it. I wish I lived in a house (not an apt.) so that I could have a separate greenhouse...or even a room that I could dedicate as a "plant room". The the first thing I'm getting when I get a house is a greenhouse! Looking forward to seeing your pic.

RJM, thanks for your advice too.

Gabi

This fell off right after I read your post. Of course it's fuzzy...

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Here's another one that will be falling off soon:

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From another angle...

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Hello all,
I have a hillside of cotyledon orbitulata, they have naturalized themselves. I live in California and they get minimal water, just when it rains. They fall over as they get taller and just keep growing. I think they just tend to get leggy all on their own. Even the ones in full sun do this. Some succulents have very untidy growth habits, the cotyledon is well worth it for their beautiful orange pendulant blooms. They lose a lower leaf once in a while, it is not neccessarily a sign that they are drying out to much. Anyone wanting one - I have plenty!

Thanks everyone for your advice. I agree that many cacti/succs can get leggy and stretch out if not getting enough light, and mine sure does look etoliated. However, it's not as simple as that. Some plants have weird growth patterns, and at first glance it might look like something is wrong, but it's actually normal. I felt it in my gut that this was growing normally...that's why my question was regarding the lower leaves, not the upper stem.

DomeHome, I'm so glad you posted that...now I know I was right about the growth pattern. Now I don't have to go crazy trying to get it more light! When I first got the plant all the leaves were facing up (like the 2 top leaves), but as it started to grow like crazy, the bottom leaves started to point down and got "smushed" down. I think this is normal, and my plant is very healthy.

DomeHome, you said "They fall over as they get taller and just keep growing". Do you mean they get too top heavy and then break, or they fall over in a bending sort of way? Either way, how do they look when they keep growing? I'd love to see a full grown one..if you could send a pic that would be great! Would you advise that I cut the top off once I see the plant starting to fall over?

Again, thanks everyone for your input, and it was great to hear from someone who actually has the plant and knows the growth style. I'm at ease now :-)

Gabi